There are films we can anticipate and there are films we can just ignore. But the films on this list are those I personally like to watch on the big screen.
For someone like me who has to really plan going to the movies (thanks but no thanks to the very hectic schedule of a journalist covering the entertainment beat, choosing the movies to watch carefully is the best way. And for the those that we can ignore watching on the multiplex, we wait for the DVD copies, or watch it online, via HOOQ or iflix. Or, if the budget permits, purchase on iTunes.
So, here are the titles of films.
* 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi
(US release date: Jan. 15)
As his follow-up to Transformers: Age of Extinction, director Michael Bay is turning his attention to 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, a new action thriller based on the 2013 book of the same name. Set on September 11, 2012, the film centers on the true story of a six-man security team who fought to defend the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi.
The film’s politically charged subject matter may seem like a bit of a change of pace for Bay, whose films tend to lean toward action spectacle. Still, the patriotic themes and military focus should give the divisive director plenty of opportunity to put his signature stamp on the tale, and its ensemble cast — which includes James Badge Dale, John Krasinski and Max Martini — seem like strong fits for the the real-life men they are portraying.
* The 5th Wave
(US release date: Jan. 22)
With The Hunger Games seemingly over (for now) and the Divergent series chugging along towards its own conclusion, The 5th Wave could easily end up the next big franchise based on a series of young adult novels. Chloë Grace Moretz plays Cassie Sullivan, a teenage girl navigating the barren wasteland left in the wake of an alien invasion in the hopes of rescuing her young brother (Zackary Arthur).
Moretz has proven time and again that she’s a capable, versatile talent, but — aside from reprising her role as Hit-Girl in the Kick-Ass sequel — the young actress has yet to secure her own franchise. If The 5th Wave connects with moviegoers, don’t be surprised for the remaining sequels based on Rick Yancey’s trilogy of novels to be announced shortly thereafter.
* Dirty Grandpa
(US release date: Jan. 22)
After wowing audiences with his over-the-top comedic turn opposite Seth Rogen in Neighbors, Zac Efron has entered an entirely new phase of his film career, and Dirty Grandpa — which pairs the actor with a particularly rambunctious Robert De Niro — could be the next step in establishing Efron as a marquee comedy actor, a boost that the young star could use after the disappointing performance of musical drama We Are Your Friends.
Directed by Dan Mazer — perhaps best known for co-writing the Oscar-nominated screenplay for Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat film — Dirty Grandpa also marks new territory for De Niro, who has mostly stuck to less zany performances in films like The Intern and Joy in recent years. This new project may not appeal to all audiences, but as far as raunchy comedies go, it might just fit the bill.
* Mojave
(US release date: Jan. 22)
Fresh from his popular performance as Resistance pilot Poe Dameron in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (and a similarly scene-stealing turn in Ex Machina), Oscar Isaac is back in Mojave as a homicidal drifter who crosses paths with a near-suicidal artist (Garrett Hedlund) in this crime thriller written and directed by William Monahan, who earned a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for his work on The Departed.
The film initially premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last spring and is currently available on DirecTV Cinema. However, the film — which also stars Mark Wahlberg, Louise Bourgoin and Walton Goggins — is finally set to hit theaters in limited release this year, giving moviegoers eager to see Isaac up on the big screen yet again the chance
* The Finest Hours
(US release date: Jan. 29)
Over the years, Disney has become a reliable source of inspirational dramatizations of true events, and The Finest Hours is the studio’s next such effort, as the film is loosely based on the Pendleton rescue mission attempt in 1952 by Coast Guard ships. Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz and Eric Bana lead the cast.
While director Craig Gillespie’s filmography ranges from quirky indie films like Lars and the Real Girl to more mainstream fare like the 2011 Fright Night remake, the filmmaker has previously tread the familiar narrative waters of films like The Finest Hours, having directed sports drama Million Dollar Arm for Disney. With such a strong team behind the project and even stronger material, The Finest Hours could prove to be a surprise hit this month.
* Jane Got A Gun
(RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 29)
Several years after winning her Best Actress Oscar for Black Swan, Natalie Portman has kept her big-screen appearances limited largely to her role as Jane Foster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Thor films. However, this month she’s bringing another character named Jane to life in director Gavin O’Connor’s Western Jane Got a Gun. In the film, Portman plays Jane Hammond, a woman who must recruit an ex-lover (Joel Edgerton, reuniting with his Warrior director) to help rescue her husband from a vicious gang that tormented her in the past.
Between Portman, Edgerton and Ewan McGregor — who plays the gang’s leader — Jane Got a Gun marks a reunion for three of the stars of the Star Wars prequel trilogy (Edgerton played the young Owen Lars). If the film lives up to its screenplay’s listing on the 2011 Black List of the best unproduced scripts, the film could be a highlight of all three of its stars’ careers and in particular the best performance from Portman since her chilling Oscar-winning role. –IVR